According to social media reports, Long-time WLBT journalist and meteorologist Barbie Bassett is no longer listed as a member of the news crew after making offensive remarks on race. Let’s see about it in detail.
Who is Barbie Bassett?
Barbie Bassett, a longtime WLBT anchor and meteorologist, hasn’t been seen on the channel since March 8, 2023, leading to rumors that the network has dismissed her. The journalist is no longer labelled as a part of WLBT’s news crew on social media, according to Clarion Ledger.
The article also mentioned that Bassett’s bio allegedly disappeared from the WLBT website. The anchor, according to reports, reportedly kept quiet on social media after leaving the network. Following her involvement in a controversy for using a racially insensitive word on-air, Bassett left WLBT. The remarks came in response to a section that highlighted a brand-new wine varietal from Snoop Dogg’s Snoop Cali Blanc wine collection.
(LEFT: Barbie Basset)
The most recent remarks made on-air were in regard to a report on Snoop Dogg’s fourth wine in his popular Cali Wine Collection, Snoop Cali Blanc, which is his newest commercial endeavour. After the news portion of the episode was through, Barbie Basset, a white anchor, uttered a well-known Snoop slang phrase, “Fo shizzle, my (expletive),” in crosstalk between the anchors. The final line of the song made allusion to a derogatory slur for African people.
After the coverage, the Caucasian Barbie Bassett engaged in crosstalk and said to a colleague, “Fo’ shizzle, my nizzle,” in reference to the well-known Snoop Dogg terminology. The final word is “the racist epithet referred to an epithet,” according to Clarion Ledger, referring to African-Americans. It’s unknown if Bassett’s remarks caused her to be fired from the network.
Officials from WLBT did not respond to texts, emails, or phone calls regarding Bassett’s situation. Ted Fortenberry, vice president and general manager of WLBT, commented on the matter on social media after the channel remained silent:
“As I am sure you can understand, WLBT is unable to comment on personnel matters.”
According to the Vicksburg Daily News, a trusted source at WLBT confirmed to the newspaper that Bassett is no longer working there. Yet thus far, no formal announcements have been made. On-air personnel declined to respond and sent any inquiries to management. On Twitter, Facebook, and her website, Bassett did not reply to direct messages.
Bassett graduated from Mississippi College and obtained a master’s degree in science with a focus in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State University.
Bassett has received the American Meteorological Society’s Seal of Approval and multiple “Best Weathercast” accolades from the Associated Press.
In its more than 50-year history, she was WLBT’s first chief meteorologist. Bassett has also worked as a model, pianist, ventriloquist, and opera singer.
“Fo’ Shizzle my Nizzle” Meaning:
There are rumours that the phrase “Fo’ Shizzle my Nizzle” is slang. It is frequently employed to convey the words “for sure, my friend” in a casual manner. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase was made well-known as a catchphrase by the rapper Snoop Dogg and is used to lightheartedly express affirmation.
According to reports, the expression is slang meaning “for sure, my n***a,” and it is associated with hip-hop music. The expression “for sure” implies “certainly, surely,” and the term “my nizzle” is short for “my n***a.”
According to Dictionary.com, Northern California rappers made the habit of adding “-izzle” to the end of some nouns fashionable in the 1990s.
The “King of Slang,” the American rapper E-40, is frequently credited with creating the -izzle suffix. E-40 reportedly used “fo’ shizzle” and “fo’ sheezy” interchangeably during the 1996 performance of his song Rapper’s Ball, with the R omitted as a characteristic of African American Vernacular English.
Previous racially insensitive statements made by Barbie Bassett:
In October 2022, Bassett received criticism for making offensive remarks. Before her most recent use of a racial slur on television, Barbie Bassett got into trouble last October after calling someone “grandmammy” in a racially offensive manner. She said that while debating an African-American reporter live on air.
The dictionary claims that slave children referred to their grandmother as “grandmammy” and their mother as “mammy.” According to The Distractify, “mammy” was a racially offensive term that originated in the South and was used to refer to African-American women who looked after Caucasian children both before and after the Civil War.
At the time, Barbie Bassett expressed regret for her remarks and acknowledged that they were “insensitive and cruel.”
“Last Friday on our newscast ‘Today at 11’, I used a term that was offensive to many in our audience and to my coworkers here at WLBT. Though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful,” Bassett said at the time. “I have apologized to Carmen Poe.
“Now, I would like to apologize to you. That is not the heart of who I am. And for that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness, and I apologize to everyone I have offended. I will learn from this and participate in training so I can better understand our history and our people. I can’t mend the hurt my comment caused. I pray you’ll forgive me and that you’ll extend grace through this awful mistake.”
Regrettably, Barbie Bassett found herself in yet another scandal after using a racial term on television. The reporter was absent from the channel following the most recent incident, despite having returned to her position on WLBT after the initial incident.
Social Media Comments
The reaction to Bassett’s departure on social media has been mixed, with some suggesting the station overreacted while others have been very critical of Bassett’s remarks.
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Bassett frequently comments on social media and has roughly 16,000 followers on Twitter and 51,000 followers on Facebook, but she hasn’t updated her Facebook profile since March 8. In one of those blogs, Bassett claims that she asks for comments and tries to answer each one. Regarding the event on March 8, several people reacted, but Bassett didn’t reply.
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